Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Crystal ❯ Chapter 29

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Crystal, Chapter 29:


“What are you?”  I got right to the point, taking a seat next to Grandfather on the tiny patch of lawn in front of Rose’s house.  I squinted in the brightness but otherwise felt no ill effects from the sun.

Grandfather chuckled and raised one eyebrow, so very much like someone else I knew.  “I suppose you could call me a spirit of the lake,” he answered me, still with the one eyebrow tilted.  It made him look harmless.

“Which lake?” I asked.  Not even Johnny or any of the other blood-drinkers could tell me where Grandfather originated.

“All of them,” he answered, spreading his arms wide.  “I’ve been many things to many people over the years.  Not all of them good—or right.  Does it matter which name they used?”

“It would be nice to call you something besides Grandfather,” I said, raising my own eyebrow.

“Then you may call me Angus,” he said, relenting.  “Or Bob.  I like Bob.”

I sputtered, then realized it was no use.  What’s in a name, anyway?

“Angus it is, then,” I decided.  If he was a Scottish water spirit then I was sticking with a Scottish name.  “I meant, what is it about you that lets you walk in the sun yet sleep under the water?  Why does your blood let me,” I held up my arm, warm from the sun’s rays but not in the least reddened, “walk in the sun?”

“Magic?” he suggested with a smile.  I rolled my eyes.  “I’m not mortal.  Not like you and Eoin, excuse me, Johnny.”  His eyes twinkled, and I realized that, to him, Bob was just as valid as Angus or any of the other names he’d held over time.

“What do you prefer to be called?” I asked then.

“By you?  Grandfather has a nice ring to it.”

So we were back to square one.  “But if we all share your blood, that means we’re not completely mortal either, right?”  I knew all this already.  The vampires remained ageless by sleeping under the water, and had to drink blood in order to gain the same effect when they were out of the water for any length of time.

“Not if you don’t want to be,” Grandfather agreed placidly.

Ooh, this was so frustrating!  “What does the water do for us?” I asked, hoping for some explanation of how it worked that was better than ‘magic’.

“Water is my element.  It’s yours as well.  That’s why.”

 He made no move to say anything more, and I glowered.  Grandfather chuckled.  He knew very well what he was doing to me!  “Go on,” I said impatiently.

He lowered his head and answered me seriously.  “I didn’t always have this form.  I wasn’t born, I just was, for longer than I can remember.  Long ago, longer than even Verica has been alive, a woman threw herself into my loch, bleeding from both wrists.  She cried out to the spirit in the loch, that’s me,” he raised his eyes and smiled briefly, lost in remembrance, “and asked it to take her life as an offering to save her people from marauders.

“As a rule, I usually avoided humans.  They were nothing but trouble.  But the woman was beautiful and her blood, freely offered, tasted sweet.  I accepted her offer and rose out of the water in a form similar to her own—human.  Instead of dragging her down to the depths with me, I drank her blood on the shore and left her there while I went off to fulfill my end of the bargain.

“I found what was left of her little family group not too far distant from the loch, and since I had tasted the woman’s blood, I was able to tell which ones were her enemies and which were family.  The family I let live after a small taste.  The others I killed, as she had commanded, and I reveled in the taste of their blood.

“I returned to my loch, replete and satisfied.  That had been fun such as I had not experienced in—ever.  The woman wasn’t quite dead yet, and I was feeling magnanimous.  I gave her some of my blood in thanks for the feast she had offered up to me.  As I told you before, I didn’t need blood, but I surely did like it.”

“Your loch?  So it was one particular loch?”  I asked.

Grandfather looked at me strangely.  “No.  All of them,” he repeated.

I stared at him open-mouthed.

“I kept her with me,” he continued, “built her a little house on the edge of my loch.  Her family willingly let her stay with me, the spirit of the loch.  They called me another name back then.  Not Angus.  Crom.  It wasn’t who I was, but the name fit so I used it for a time.

“She was the first.  In human form, I gave her a child, a daughter.”  Grandfather looked at me.  “You’re a lot like her, my first child.  Not in coloring.  She was dark like me, like her mother.  But she was strong in my blood, too, because I gave her mother my blood before she was conceived.”

“What happened to her?”  I almost dreaded the answer.

“She died.  It was during the time of the Roman invasions.  She led her people in raids against the Romans on promises of blood, but she was captured.  She was strong enough to survive without blood, but not without returning to her loch.  With no healing waters to counter the human taint in her blood, she wasted away.  I never knew until it was over.”  Grandfather’s eyes slowly closed, then reopened.  Nothing showed in the utter blackness of their depths.  “My first loss.  I didn’t know what pain was until my child died.

“I went back, even so.  There is something vital about humans, not just their blood, which I admit I had developed a taste for.  I was the only one of my kind who was so fascinated by humans.”

Only one of his kind?  There were others?

He laughed to see the astonishment on my face.  “Did you think I was the only one?  I am water, but there are other elements.”  He smiled wryly.  “They don’t often take on human form, or any form for that matter.  Don’t worry.  You’re human enough to be safe from them.”

It was strange to hear Grandfather refer to me as ‘human enough.’  Somehow, I knew he meant not only me, but all his blood-drinker children.  We were all too human.  “Do the others know about your . . . relatives?” I asked.

He shook his head.  “Just you,” he confirmed.  He tilted his head back and stared straight at the sun with his inhuman eyes.  When he faced me again, those eyes had specks of brightness, like stars, in their depths.  “You might be able to perceive them if you try.  You see clearly, past and future.  If you hadn’t already chosen my son, you might have been the first of my offspring to live in the water without the need for blood when you walked the earth.”  He sighed, but he looked at me fondly.  “You chose Eoin, and you chose blood.  There’s no going back now.

“Over the years, I took many human women to be the mothers to my children, but never again did I share my blood with one of them.  I only shared my blood with my children, to initiate them into their birthright under the waters of their lochs, and again with those whose family blood was strong enough to survive a similar transition, if they requested it.  These others I brought over as companions to my children, to ease their loneliness.  I taught my children that they were never to take human lovers; that was my privilege only.  Until Owain, they obeyed me.  Owain’s child never came to our life, which was just as well.  But you have his blood, meaning both Owain’s and mine, and you also have my blood through your mother’s line.  Never since my first daughter has any of my children shared so much of my heritage.

“I’m glad you chose my son.  I was wrong to keep my children, all of them, apart from each other.  I will come to visit you in America.  Now that I know our blood has spread out across the earth, it’s time I went to check on my descendants.  I’m looking forward to living in the world again.”  

Grandfather gave me a hug, just as Johnny found us.  It was still bright outside, too bright for Johnny to be comfortable, but as usual, that didn’t stop him.  He stood, a little bit behind us, and waited for his father to acknowledge him.  

“Stubborn fool,” his father murmured, standing up abruptly.  He ripped his own wrist with his sharp teeth and held it out to Johnny.  “You’re getting burned.  Drink this.”

Johnny didn’t argue, but his eyes sought out mine as he raised his father’s wrist to his mouth and drank.  There were questions in his eyes.  I shrugged.  We would talk later, when we were alone.  I wasn’t sure I understood completely what Grandfather was, or what that made me, but Grandfather was right.  For good or ill, I had chosen Johnny’s life with my eyes wide open.

“Come with me.”  Grandfather led Johnny away, towards the loch, and I watched them both shed their clothes and sink under the water.  They didn’t dive in.  They both just sort of slowly slid under without a ripple.  Grandfather had taken Johnny to the one place I could not follow.  Yet.  I wondered if Johnny kept an awareness when he was under there.  He had never said.  I probably should have asked.

At loose ends, I gathered up their clothes and folded them neatly, leaving them at the edge of the loch for when my guys returned.  I wondered if Johnny knew his father’s spirit inhabited all the lochs, and not just one.   Did he inhabit our lake in Lockwood, too?  I didn’t think so, or he would have made himself known to Johnny long before this.   Did that mean another water spirit animated our lake—or was it Johnny’s own essence that did it?  Too many questions.  I shook my head.  What difference did it make, really?  Grandfather’s explanation of ‘magic’ worked as well as any other.

I took my sketchbook outside and drew pictures while I waited for night to fall.  I enjoyed the warm sun, knowing it wouldn’t last.  Once Johnny brought me under the water on the Equinox, I would feel pain in the sunlight like he did.  It was a small price to pay to be with Johnny forever.  I wasn’t paying attention to what I was drawing, so I was startled when Paul appeared over my shoulder and commented, “Is that Annalise?”

My picture showed Lachlan holding a laughing little girl on his lap, Michael’s child, obviously.  Michael and Annie stood in the background, with Annie visibly pregnant again.   You see clearly.  Grandfather’s comment echoed in my brain.  Is that what he meant?

“Yeah, I think it is,” I replied.  Glad to see that Lachlan stayed involved with his human family, and didn’t turn out to be the stern taskmaster he thought he was supposed to be.

Paul came around to stand beside me, wrist extended.

“Paul, I don’t need it,” I began, but Paul kept his wrist out in front of me.  I realized it comforted Paul to be able to help me in this way.  Who was I to deny him that?  Grinning at the thought, I accepted his offering.

“I booked the tickets.  We’re leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“We?  You’re coming back with us?”

Paul nodded.  “My father’s staying here for a while.  He says I can use his house.  I thought a change of scenery would do me good.  Besides, I think my parents could use a little time to themselves.”

And Paul could continue to keep an eye on me, even after I changed.  Johnny was not going to be pleased, but, oddly enough, I was.  I liked having Paul around.  He stayed with me for the rest of the afternoon, watching me draw, or maybe just watching me.  

Around sunset, lights came on in the house.  Everybody woke up, including my father.  Paul told him we were going home on the same plane with him, and he seemed happy to hear it.  Maybe, if Johnny stayed away from him, my father would never notice he was traveling with vampires.  It must have been the infusion of Grandfather’s blood, but he didn’t seem to notice anything different about me now.  Therefore, I was completely surprised when he commented, “What are you going to do for blood on the plane?”

“Blood?”

“She has me.”  Paul stepped forward.  “She’ll be fine.”

My father nodded, satisfied with that answer.  “Is Bob going with us?”

“Bob?”  I heard my voice squeak.

“You know, tall guy, says he’s related to us.  He explained about your boyfriend, that he’s all bark and no bite.  He explained a little about the family, too.  It’s nice to know where I came from finally, though I think I’ll pass on the whole blood thing.  Bob said only a few of us ever go for it, anyway.  We had a long talk about you.  He told me it’s normal for you to want blood, and that you had a whole family to protect you and take care of you.  Including me.”  My father smiled at me proudly.

I giggled a little hysterically at my dad’s description of Johnny:  all bark and no bite.  He obviously hadn’t regained all his memories.  He didn’t know about the water, and he seemed a little vague on exactly how we got blood.  Grandfather must have done quite a number on him!  It was probably good that Johnny wasn’t around at the moment; he would probably undo all the good that Grandfather had accomplished, if not by his mere proximity, then because he would want to show Dad that his bite was definitely worse than his bark.  Johnny didn’t bother barking—he went right for the jugular every time!

Paul rescued me by bringing my father to town with Uncle Robert and Rose for dinner.  I said I wanted to start packing, and my father nodded sagely.  “That’s right, you wouldn’t want to eat what we’re having anyway.”

“Dad!  You can’t say stuff like that out loud!”

He laughed.  “I’m aware of that.  I promised Bob that I wouldn’t mention any of this to anybody who wasn’t family.”

“Oh, all right, then.”  I wondered how much of Dad’s promise was his own idea.  I had to trust that Grandfather wouldn’t let him run around telling people about us, even if he did seem awfully calm about it now.

They left, and once again I was alone.  I didn’t have much to pack and I really didn’t feel like it, anyway.  Where were Johnny and Grandfather?  It was full dark by now, and they still had not come back.  Neither had any of the other blood-drinkers who had been hanging around Rose’s house lately.  I stood corrected.  Halla and Verica, the two women blood-drinkers, knocked politely at the front door.  “We wanted to see the baby,” Halla said.  “Will you come with us, Crystal?”

“Sure,” I said, stepping outside and closing the door behind me.  We ran down the road towards the small town.  I kept up with the two women easily.  Lights were on in Michael’s house, and he answered the door at my knock.  I could hear the baby fussing inside.

“I’m leaving in two days,” I said.  “I wanted to see Annie and the baby before I go.  I brought Halla and Verica with me.”

Michael’s eyes widened, but he invited us in.  “Annie, there are some people here to see you,” he called.

For having just given birth, Annie looked wonderful.  She held little Annalise in a soft white blanket while the baby nursed.  I wasn’t sure whether I was enthralled or embarrassed.  I decided on enthralled, and gently touched the baby’s dark hair.  “She’s beautiful,” I said softly.  The two blood-drinker women watched silently behind me.

Annie deftly moved the baby to her shoulder, covering herself with the blanket at the same time.  She patted the baby until she burped, then held her out to me.  I stepped back quickly, bumping into Halla.  “Oh, take her,” Annie said in her soft accent.  “Annalise, meet your Auntie Crystal.”  She put the baby into my arms.  Annalise stared up at me sleepily, content to let me hold her.  Halla and Verica crowded around, cooing and gently running their fingertips over the baby’s face, fingers and hair.

Michael hovered in the background, keeping an eye on the two blood-drinkers I had brought with me to visit his newborn daughter.  I didn’t tell him that it was their idea to come.  What did he think?  That they would have his daughter for a snack?  She was family.  Sacred.  He should know that.

“May I hold her?”  Verica asked, addressing Annie, not Michael.  Annie didn’t know she was a vampire, or so I thought.  Annie nodded, and I carefully passed the tiny bundle to Verica, who held her just as gingerly as I had, but with a big smile on her face, a smile that clearly revealed her two sharp teeth!

I held my breath, but Annie nodded again, thoughtfully, as if she had finally figured something out.  “And this is your other Auntie, Auntie--?”

“Verica,” I supplied.  “And Halla.”

“Halla and Verica are—?”  Annie glanced at Michael.  “Your family?”

“In a roundabout way,” Michael replied.  “We are all family here.”  He said it to reassure himself, but it was true.

Annalise started fussing, and Verica quickly handed her back to her mother, who put her to the other breast.  The blood-drinkers and I watched in fascination.  “She’s a greedy girl,” Annie commented, smiling at us.  She patted the sofa next to her.  “Please, sit down and visit for a while.  I’m always glad when family stops by.”

Halla and Verica’s smiles left no doubt as to what they were.  Oh, what the heck.  I smiled, too.

We left a little while later, to Michael’s relief.  He wished me luck and gave me a genuine hug.  I told him to take care of his girls, and he said he would.

Johnny met me on the road to Rose’s house, and spoke briefly with his sisters before the went off to hunt, or to sleep, or maybe just out on the town.  I’d seen them eying the pub as we passed by it.  “Where’s your father?” I asked Johnny.

“He had something to do,” Johnny said, linking my arm with his.  We were going to take the long way back, apparently.  “You went to see the baby?”

“Yeah.  Your sisters really wanted to.  I think Annie knows they’re vampires,” I said.

“There’s a lot of that going around,” Johnny said ominously.  Uh oh.  Had he run into my dad in town?  “I already told my father that if he comes to visit us, he’s staying with Robert.”

“Paul,” I corrected absently.  “Uncle Robert’s staying here.  Paul is coming back with us.”

Johnny stopped, digesting my words, but he didn’t say anything.  After a moment, we resumed walking.  “He told me he gave you a choice.”

“What?  There is no choice.  There was never a choice for me, Johnny.”  I turned to face him.  It was dark, but I could still see him clearly.  “Are you still trying to get rid of me?”  I meant it to be a joke.

“He also told me that it’s too late now.  You can’t change your mind.  We have to go through with the change on the Equinox or you will die.”

“Johnny?”  Didn’t he want me anymore?  “I love you.”

“Do you?  How can you be sure?  What if you only think you love me, and after a couple of centuries, you’ll be sick of me and resent me for forcing you into this life?”

A couple of centuries!  It gave me a thrill just hearing those words.  I would live for centuries, possibly forever, with Johnny!  How could he think I wouldn’t choose this?  “Do you love me?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Then believe me when I tell you I will never, ever change my mind about you.  I want to be like you.  You ask me how I can be so sure.  It’s because I know.  It will be, Johnny.  You called me your Crystal ball.  Believe me when I tell you we are destined to be together.”

He didn’t answer, but he pulled me closer to him and we walked slowly along the road in the dark, moving to the side only once when a car passed us.  It was Paul, returning with his parents and my father.

The day after tomorrow.  I couldn’t wait.  We were going home!  









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